| Ngātiwai | |
|---|---|
| Iwi (tribe) inMāoridom | |
 Whangarei Harbour | |
 | |
| Rohe (region) | Northland,Great Barrier Island,Little Barrier Island |
| Waka (canoe) | Māhuhu-ki-te-rangi,Ruakaramea,Tainui |
Ngātiwai orNgāti Wai is aMāoriiwi of the east coast of theNorthland Region ofNew Zealand. Its historical tribal area or rohe stretched fromCape Brett in the north to Takatū Point onTawharanui Peninsula in the south and out toGreat Barrier Island, thePoor Knights Islands and other offshore islands.[1]
Notable descendants of Ngātiwai include brothersJim,Ian andWinston Peters, artistShona Rapira Davies, and writerPaula Morris.
Ngātiwai trace their ancestry to one of the earliestsettlers of Te Tai-tokerau,Manaia, who was, according to legend, transformed into stone, with his family and servant Paekō, atopMount Manaia besideWhangārei Harbour. His descendant Manaia II, some 14 generations later, was therangatira of Ngāti Manaia established.[citation needed]
Following a battle withNgāpuhi at their pā at Mimiwhāngata, Ngāti Manaia fled out to sea, along the eastern coast, and on to the offshore islands. They became adept seafarers and were known as Ngātiwai-ki-te-moana under the leadership ofTe Rangihōkaia and siblings Torematao and Te Rangapū.[citation needed]
Known for their ocean traditions and customs and coastal raiding, Ngātiwai ("descendants of the sea") were often accompanied by a guardian sea-hawk or Tūkaiaia, whereby other tribes would be warned that Ngātiwai were on the move – either at sea or on land.[citation needed]
The iwi has become associated with Ngāpuhi.[2]
After the time of Te Rangihōkaia, a descendant of Manaia, a number of key marriages cemented the relationship between Ngātiwai and the Kawerauhapū ofNgāti Rehua andNgāti Manuhiri. During the late 1700s and early 1800s the Ngāpuhi tribes pushed east towardKawakawa, Te Rāwhiti and theWhangaruru coast, where they absorbed other tribes, including Ngāti Manu, Te Kapotai, Te Uri o Rata, Ngare Raumati and Ngātiwai.[2][3]
In April 2006, Ngātiwai sued theDepartment of Conservation over its handling of consultation issues in Northland regarding a marine reserve.[4]